The use of medical robots has become widespread in recent years, in particular for surgical procedures requiring a high degree of precision, for instance minimal access or “keyhole” surgery.
Typically, a medical robot comprises an arm which is movable under computer control, and to which any one of several different tools may be attached. During the course of a surgical procedure, several different tools may be required, and each will be attached in turn to the arm of the medical robot.
Because the tools must be sterile to qualify for use in surgical procedures, conventional identification means such as labeling or marking may not be available for the purpose of distinguishing between tools. In addition, electrical safety and clinical practice requires that the patient is electrically “floating”, that is, isolated from any power sources and not earthed. Hence, when the tool contacts the patient during a surgical procedure, this contact must not provide a ground path through which current could flow between the patient and ground.
Because a medical robot is a safety-critical device, it is a requirement in most jurisdictions for medical robots to be immune from single-point failures. In other words, it is preferable for there to be two independent means for verifying which tool is attached to the arm of the robot.
Object of the Invention
The present invention seeks to alleviate some or all of the difficulties.